CONGRATULATIONS PEN FARTHING FOR YOUR DEDICATION TO OUR SOLDIERS AND THEIR FOUR LEGGED BATTLE BUDDIES!

Pen Farthing, a former Royal Marine Sergeant, is reuniting soldiers with the stray dogs they befriend while serving in Afghanistan. His nonprofit, Nowzad Dogs — named for the stray Farthing rescued during his tour — has helped more than 700 soldiers from eight countries. “My connection with Afghanistan stayed alive because of Nowzad,” Farthing said. “To be able to get that animal home to them, it closes the loop.”

]]>http://guardiansofrescue.org/2014/11/paws-of-war-matches-pets-with-veterans-struggling-from-ptsd/feed/0Veterans Day Union!http://guardiansofrescue.org/2014/11/veterans-day-union/
http://guardiansofrescue.org/2014/11/veterans-day-union/#commentsThu, 13 Nov 2014 05:13:44 +0000http://guardiansofrescue.org/?p=1675Continue Reading]]>Meet United States Army Veteran Scott Jernigan: Known as SPC Randall Jernigan; from A battery, 4th Battalion 320th Field Artillery Regiment, 101st. This photo of him was taken in Zafaraniyah, Baghdad during Operation Ten Bears. Scott knows all too well the physical and psychological effects of war.

Scott spent 4 years in the United States Army to protect our freedom, and in those 4 years…he lost his. From continual battle ground combat, Scotts injuries to his shoulder and back have left him disabled. He has had three surgeries, now his fourth and most recent surgery has fused his shoulder permanently and he will never have use of it again. His right arm is forever immobile. Compiled with a fractured back, it leaves Scott on 8 different medications to alleviate his physical and emotional trauma.

Scott suffers from severe PTSD. Being in public triggers his PTSD and Scott has become a prisoner in his own home, as well as a victim of hyper-vigilence and sleep disorders. Scott recently contacted Guardians of Rescue to become a candidate for a Paws of War dog. As an avid animal lover, with a heart of gold we wish to make Scotts request a reality.

Meet Duchess Duchess is a 4 year old German Shepherd who’s loyalty goes above and beyond the call of duty. But that loyalty was ultimately one sided. On the day her owner decided to up and leave her at a shelter, Duchess went into a deep depression. She wouldn’t eat and became withdrawn. With every squeak of the door, her ears would perk up, only to be let down each time and ultimately she gave up when the realization that her owner was never coming back for her. And that is where our story really begins. Scott and Duchess are now an inseparable team.

Through our Paws of War program, intense training, and dedication, this girl and this veteran have taken two fractured souls and become one. Paws of War; helping both ends of the leash. This Veterans Day we honor all our service members and veterans. God Bless America!

Animals have always been a special part of my life. As long as I can remember, I was bringing home strays and injured animals. When I was five, I brought home a stray kitten. This was my first rescued animal. It wasn’t until I became an actor, and then injured my spine, that I discovered that these animals were actually very therapeutic and helped me to cope with my chronic pain. I wanted to share with others what worked for me.

People may not realize the tremendous part that therapy/companion/comfort animals have in easing the suffering of those with PTSD and traumatic brain injury (TBI), particularly within the military. A large part of the despair associated with these conditions is a deep sense of uselessness and being a burden to family and friends. This brings on feelings of guilt, which intensify the sense of worthlessness, igniting a downward spiral. I know this from personal experience after I sustained a severe spinal injury in 1992. I myself sank into that abysmal pit of feeling utterly worthless, useless and burdensome. Caring for an animal, especially one that you rescue, can help return you to a sense of being needed and useful. In my case, it was nearly miraculous…

]]>http://guardiansofrescue.org/2014/11/to-the-humans-and-animals-that-protect-us-everyday/feed/0Preparations begin for another cold winterhttp://guardiansofrescue.org/2014/11/preparations-begin-for-another-cold-winter/
http://guardiansofrescue.org/2014/11/preparations-begin-for-another-cold-winter/#commentsThu, 13 Nov 2014 05:01:32 +0000http://guardiansofrescue.org/?p=1663Continue Reading]]>This is Bruno, who lives on a sovereign nation (Indian reservation) where animal cruelty laws are not upheld. No law enforcement officers to check on his well being or care. Animals like Bruno are completely on their own. That’s why they need us.

Guardians of Rescue members have gained access to many cruelty cases on the reservation after earning trust by showing respect. Before today, Bruno had nothing. He slept underneath a smoke shop building with no defense against the elements.

We heard about his plight through a concerned citizen and worked alongside her and Bruno’s owner to better his living situation. Starting tonight he will now have a dog house, heating pad, and plenty of straw to keep him warm. When we are able to, we accept dogs into our organization to remove them from the life they want to forget. In Bruno’s situation his owner is unwilling to part with his dog and even if we removed him, the owner would have a new dog in Bruno’s place by the end of this week. It will only perpetuate the cycle.

Bruno is one of hundreds of dogs we will be working with this season in this exact same situation. Because of lenient laws and lack of enforcement, dogs will suffer every day in the bitter winter. We cannot continue to help them unless we get more dog houses, straw, food, manpower, and donations. That’s where we ask you for help. If you can help us prepare frigid temperatures Long Island experiences during our winter months, please donate to:

]]>http://guardiansofrescue.org/2014/11/preparations-begin-for-another-cold-winter/feed/0A&E TV Special: Dogs of Warhttp://guardiansofrescue.org/2014/11/ae-tv-special-dogs-of-war/
http://guardiansofrescue.org/2014/11/ae-tv-special-dogs-of-war/#commentsThu, 13 Nov 2014 04:54:34 +0000http://guardiansofrescue.org/?p=1658Please tune in to a new series on A&E at 10pm on 11.11.14 about a service dog organization run by husband and wife team Jim and Lindsey Staneck, pairing up rescued dogs with veterans.

]]>http://guardiansofrescue.org/2014/11/ae-tv-special-dogs-of-war/feed/0Shelter Dogs Get Second Chance At Life With Military Veteran Companionshttp://guardiansofrescue.org/2014/11/shelter-dogs-get-second-chance-at-life-with-military-veteran-companions/
http://guardiansofrescue.org/2014/11/shelter-dogs-get-second-chance-at-life-with-military-veteran-companions/#commentsThu, 13 Nov 2014 04:48:57 +0000http://guardiansofrescue.org/?p=1652Continue Reading]]>NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — For some returning veterans, normal moments in everyday life can be monumental challenges.

On Long Island, shelter dogs are being trained to serve those who have served the nation, giving both a second chance at life, CBS2’s Kristine Johnson reported.

CBS 2 was with Air Force veteran Jason Sexton when he met Jet, a 1-year-old lab mix rescued from a kill shelter, for the first time about a month ago. Since then, Jet has been by Sexton’s side as his service dog.

“I’ve been praying and hoping for this day,” he said.

Sexton spent 12 years on active duty, part of that time just outside of Afghanistan. He said civilian life has been more challenging than he expected since leaving the service two years ago.
“I realized things in my life were getting out of control,” he said.
So Sexton reached out to Paws for War — a Long Island shelter that places rescue dogs with veterans. Training is still in the early stages, but Jet has already moved to protect Sexton against the piercing scream of a siren.

“We try to do it in a setting that’s a little loud. There’s a lot of things going on, distractions,” said Robert Misseri, president of Paws of War. “If Jason goes into a dark spot, Jet will be there, Jet will be pushing him.”

]]>http://guardiansofrescue.org/2014/11/shelter-dogs-get-second-chance-at-life-with-military-veteran-companions/feed/0MidPoint Interviewhttp://guardiansofrescue.org/2014/11/midpoint-interview/
http://guardiansofrescue.org/2014/11/midpoint-interview/#commentsThu, 13 Nov 2014 04:41:51 +0000http://guardiansofrescue.org/?p=1645Sgt. Stephen Siwulec a U.S. veteran, will adopt a service dog, specifically trained by Guardians of Rescue to help people suffering from PTSD. The founder of Guardians of Rescue, Robert Misseri, and Sgt. Siwulec, along with “Cali” join MidPoint to discuss PTSD and life for returning Veterans.

]]>http://guardiansofrescue.org/2014/11/midpoint-interview/feed/0Paws of War Visits: Good Day New York & Veterans Day Parade!http://guardiansofrescue.org/2014/11/paws-of-war-visits-good-day-new-york-veterans-day-parade/
http://guardiansofrescue.org/2014/11/paws-of-war-visits-good-day-new-york-veterans-day-parade/#commentsThu, 13 Nov 2014 01:16:02 +0000http://guardiansofrescue.org/?p=1607Continue Reading]]>Paws of War celebrates Veterans Day with a splash, visiting both Good Day New York’s studios for an interview and then riding floats in the NYC Veterans Day Parade.

Veterans Day Parade! New York: Our Vice President Dori Scofield is on one big military truck with Paws of War members getting ready to go up 5th Ave!

Our Paws of War truck is in one part of the parade and our Guardians of rescue team is walking along side of the A&E float, helping promote the new series DOGS OF WAR, we are delighted to be guests of A&E for this great new show, premiers 11.11.14 at 10 pm/9c. Watch how Jim and Lindsey Staneck, who are saving dogs and placing them with veterans cope with challenges.

See the A&E Show: Dogs of War

]]>http://guardiansofrescue.org/2014/11/paws-of-war-visits-good-day-new-york-veterans-day-parade/feed/0Veterans Day Storieshttp://guardiansofrescue.org/2014/11/veterans-day-stories/
http://guardiansofrescue.org/2014/11/veterans-day-stories/#commentsThu, 13 Nov 2014 00:47:51 +0000http://guardiansofrescue.org/?p=1583Continue Reading]]>Staff Sgt.Edwin Caba and his team did not want to leave a mother dog and her pups behind when their tour in Afghanistan was through. “I couldn’t bear the though of leaving them”, said Caba. “They were part of our team, part of our family.”

The tour, which began in 2012, did not allow for much respite. Yet, one morning, the 12 American soldiers noticed a stray dog that had wandered on to their campsite. As time passed, the unit became very fond of the dog, who had taken to greeting them like long-lost friends when they returned to base from foot patrols. It wasn’t long before she had started to follow them out of camp and accompany them on such patrols.

Camaraderie quickly developed, and soon the brave dog was going out with her team and protecting them from packs of wild dogs in the area. Her soldier companions named her “Sheba,” which means “promise.” From then on, the soldiers made a promise to Sheba and themselves, to keep her safe – always.

On March 23, 2013, Sheba gave birth to a litter of seven puppies. Cadence, Rocky, Sarah, Jack, Buckeye, Breezy, and Harris were dubbed “The Magnificent Seven.” The soldiers worried about Sheba and the puppies, but saw to it that they were properly cared for and given the best medical attention possible, courtesy of the unit’s medic.

“The most important thing to me is that we saved eight dogs lives,” said Staff Sgt. Edwin Caba, a Long Beach, NY resident. “Sheba was very sick after giving birth and our medic took exceptional care of her and raised all seven of her pups – quite a feat when you don’t even have time for yourself. More than anything, I want to get all eight of these dogs to the United States.”

To that end, Staff Sgt. Caba reached out to Guardians of Rescue to help him get all of the dogs safely to America. Guardians had to raise $14,000 to get all the dogs out of Afghanistan. With the help of Nowzad in Kabul, the dogs finally made it home. Staff Sgt.Caba and the other soldiers in the unit couldn’t bear the thought of leaving them behind. Staff Sgt. Caba, Sgt. Alex Rotondi, of Syracuse, NY; Sgt. Travis Burton, of Cincinnati, OH; Maj. Andrew Pinckney, of Albany, NY; and 1st Lt. Joseph Lapenta, of Staten Island, NY, have all agreed to take Sheba’s puppies, while Sheba herself is now living with a Vietnam veteran. Together we save them!